Bruised Hearts
by Fair Lady Miriel
Summary: Repost. Legolas is raped by brutal men of Gondor, and seeks Aragorn for comfort, and tells him what happened.. Aragorn then reveals his feelings of love, and Legolas his. They find peace in eachother's arms. RAPESLASH, one chappie.


I wrote this a long time ago.  
  
This fic is confusing, and won't have much explanation. It's a bit angsty, and rape is implied. In this fic, Arwen never married Aragorn, and they were not in love. Plus, this is AU. No ring!  
  
I WILL continue my other fics.  
  
A dark figure stumbled ungracefully through the halls of Estel's chambers. King Elessar, to the citizens of Gondor, but to the silhouette, he would always be the young Estel he had met so long ago in Imladris.  
  
Legolas' breathing was labored and pained. He had lost the ability to walk silently, as he was in great distress. Feeling as though he were going to faint any moment, the elven prince felt around for the entrance to Estel's chambers. He knocked on the heavy oaken door.  
  
Within seconds the door opened, and a gasp sounded. "Legolas?" Aragorn asked, concerned at the elf's state.  
  
Legolas' normally elegant hair was haphazardly thrown about his head and shoulders, and it was dirty and bloody. The fair, handsome face was marked with bruises, and the perfect, bow shaped lips with slightly black and blue. The elf's slender body seemed to be broken, the way Legolas unsteadily leaned on the doorway.  
  
"Estel." Legolas said softly. It sounded like it was an effort to speak.  
  
"Come in, Legolas." Aragorn offered, opening the door wide. Legolas nodded his thanks and shuffled over to Aragorn's large, four poster bed. He sat down heavily.  
  
After some time, Aragorn asked gently, "What happened?"  
  
There was a long, thick silence. Legolas broke it, though unwillingly. "I do not wish to speak of it now. I ask for a place to rest.....as long as it does not disturb you." he whispered.  
  
Aragorn nodded. He didn't like Legolas' dismissal of the subject. He was obviously hurt, but Legolas was a proud elf. He would not admit when he was bothered.  
  
Legolas muttered his thanks, and lay down on Aragorn's bed, falling asleep almost instantly.  
  
The King of Gondor sat in a chair by the large fireplace, the flames crackling. He made up his mind. He jumped to his feet with grace, and went over to Legolas. He stifled a cry of surprise.  
  
Legolas was sleeping with his eyes closed. In the many years he had known the elf, Aragorn had never seen him close his eyes for more than a minute. He looked over the elf more closely.  
  
Making sure Legolas' was fast asleep, Aragorn went to a shelf in his room. He took down a bottle of sleeping herbs, and held them in front of Legolas' nose. After the elf had inhaled a certain amount, Aragorn took the jar away. The elf would not wake now.  
  
The man turned the elf onto his stomach, and frowned when he saw the tunic was stuck to the skin. Tenderly, Aragorn tried to remove the garment, his heart wrenching at the pained moan that came from Legolas' bruised lips. When the shirt was off, Aragorn did not stop himself from crying out.  
  
The elf had been brutally flogged. Marks from a whip marred the normally silken skin. Bruises in the shape of fingerprints dotted Legolas' shoulders.  
  
Aragorn turned Legolas around, but didn't set him back onto the bed. As the man looked closer, he could see scratches on Legolas' chest, along with even more bruises.  
  
Legolas had been abused by someone, and Aragorn vowed to find the culprit. It made him burn with an anger he had never known before, seeing his closest friend hurt.  
  
For years he had felt more than friendship for the elf. Whenever Legolas' entered the room, his heart would begin to race. The king had long ago accepted that he loved Legolas, but was too afraid that the elf would not return his feelings.  
  
The sleeping herb must not have worked on Legolas, because the sapphire eyes snapped open. The elf whimpered and jerked away from Aragorn roughly, trying not to cry out as the welts on his back were ripped open.  
  
"Legolas! Peace, my friend, it is only I, Aragorn. You are safe." Aragorn uttered in a distressed voice. Legolas looked like a wild animal, about to be killed by a predator. His eyes were wide and frightened, and he had curled up into a ball, as if to shield himself.  
  
The elf let out a strangled moan and collapsed onto Aragorn's chest unexpectedly. Despaired sobs left the elf's lips. Between breaths, he choked out the words, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, please forgive me." Over and over again Legolas' cried out these words onto Aragorn.  
  
The man was at a loss. He had never seen Legolas' cry, much less sob helplessly. He had always come across of a strong yet kind being, not one to shed tears around anyone. The broken sounds were enough to soften the hardest heart.  
  
After many minutes, Legolas' sobs stopped, and was replaced by light shivers. Aragorn had long ago wrapped his arms around the shaking figure, being mindful of the abused skin of his back. Tear streaks ran down the elf's flushed face. The dark, vivid bruise on Legolas' cheekbone stood out even more bathed in tears.  
  
After long moments, Aragorn again softly pleaded, "Please tell me what happened, Legolas."  
  
A deep, shuddering breath came from Legolas.  
  
"Men." he whispered. "Men did this to me."  
  
Shock invaded Aragorn's thoughts. Men? Here, in Gondor? He couldn't believe it.  
  
Legolas continued, in that soft voice.  
  
"I was out walking in the forests. I wished to see the stars and the trees."  
  
Aragorn nodded, sensing Legolas needed to get this out.  
  
"And.....they were just.....there. I must not have been paying attention. A big group of men just jumped out of the woods, and before I could react, they pushed me to the ground. I tried, I tried so hard to get free.....but I was too weak. They ripped off my shirt and began to whip me. I don't know why.... After a long time they ceased, but I wish they would have kept going if they wouldn't have done what they did next. The largest man.....he began to undress me. I knew what was going to happen, and struggled with my best effort, but he would hit me. I can still feel his hands on me. Groping me, tearing me. He kept hissing at me to please him.....but I couldn't. He.....he took me. And it hurt. I could not keep from screaming, which just made him laugh and thrust harder. Then they just left.....and I was alone, left to die of grief. You.... you were the only reason that helped me survive."  
  
The silence was deafening.  
  
Legolas felt empty. Would Aragorn be disgusted by him? That he was too weak to throw off the men? That he was dirty, used? And how would the man react to his vague yet sincere proclamation of love?  
  
Aragorn, on the other hand, was enraged. Grief tore at his heart. Legolas had been raped, and here he was, alive, because of him.  
  
What Legolas said next nearly killed the king. "Are you.....are you disgusted by me? I was too weak.....I feel so ashamed, so dirty. I hate this weakness. Please forgive me, if you rejected our friendship it would kill me." the elf pleaded, tears flowing from his eyes.  
  
Aragorn threw his arms around the elf carefully, cradling him gently, sobbing softly.  
  
"I could never think that way about you. You couldn't stop those horrible men, it wasn't your fault. Don't ever think that. If you had died I would have wasted away."  
  
Legolas buried his head in the man's chest. "Truly?" he asked in disbelief.  
  
Aragorn nodded. "I love you, Legolas. I've loved you for so long, and I've been so afraid to tell you. I just hope that you love me too." he whispered into the elf's dirtied hair.  
  
The man looked down at the elf's abused, yet still beautiful face. The dark lips were smiling, and the eyes were sparkling once more.  
  
"I love you too, Estel." he breathed.  
  
And with that Aragorn kissed the elf beneath him. It was a gentle, tender kiss, being careful of the sore lips. It asked for nothing in return.  
  
Legolas timidly returned the kiss. It wasn't a deep kiss, but loving nonetheless.  
  
Aragorn picked up the elf, and laid him on his bed carefully. Legolas looked timid. Aragorn saw the fear in the bright blue eyes.  
  
"Estel.....wait.....I cannot....." Legolas began, but Aragorn cut him off gently. "I do not want you to." Legolas looked surprised, and his breathing slowed.  
  
"Let me know you are here. Just let me hold you, let you know you are safe and loved. I need to know that you're here with me, and nowhere else. You do not have to do anything that makes you uncomfortable. I am yours." Aragorn said. His speech was heartfelt, and Legolas stroked the unexpectedly soft cheekbone of his new lover. This feeling was new to him; to feel loved. He had had a good life, but had never experienced gentle touches of a lover. He had never heard murmurs and moans of pleasure from another......he wanted to.....  
  
"I trust you." Legolas whispered.  
  
The new lovers kissed sweetly, and Aragorn began his healing touch on the elf's physical and emotional wounds. They lay in the bed, Aragorn cocooning Legolas with his strong arms. The prince's eyes were vacant, his breathing peaceful. But Aragorn refusing to fall asleep, afraid Legolas would disappear before his very eyes. He just studied the beautiful creature below him.  
  
Legolas snuggled closer to Aragorn's warm body, and Aragorn kissed the pale forehead lovingly.  
  
He was where he wanted to be. He had the elf he loved in his arms, and his heart had been tenderly accepted.  
  
He felt at peace.  
  
There you are. Please review! 


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